A colleague of mine at another institution has requested that I share the following with this forum. Bottom line: participants are wanted for a study of stage fright among musicians.
Music Performance Anxiety is a serious problem for musicians of all types, yet within the Psychological literature, it is a relatively understudied form anxiety. Would you be willing to participate in an online research study entitled, Anxiety in Musicians: On and Off Stage? This research is headed by D. Riley Nicholson, studying Music Performance and Psychology at the University of Memphis under the supervision of J. Gayle Beck PhD. If you are interested, the link to the survey is: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/RRHGZTH
Interesting study. As a former competitive sportsman at world level in sport parachuting Australian Team 1990 Box formation I've been exposed to a lot of sports psychology that addresses the area of performance anxiety.
On a lot of levels music is no different from sports as it is about directed energy and mental/physical peak performance, and I think a lot of the same sports psych techniques can benefit musicians. Such as: warm up, relaxation techniques, mental rehearsals and visualisation, focused debriefs, video debriefs etc etc.
I had a bit of stage fright very early in my career. I can't remember the last time I had any. After thousands of performances, it just.....evaporated.
So no, I wasn't asking for advice. I'm not sure that any has been tendered. I thought Komuso was simply sharing in the spirit of the thread: sharing information. I'm quite sure that some members of this forum have a bit of stage fright and I'm sure that they were intrigued, as I was, by the sports psychology angle.
OK, point taken. I guess I'm too sensitive to guys in particular wanting to give advice rather than to simply either listen or offer support. I wasn't trying to demean anyone in my statement. Anyway, I know I used to have stage fright to the point of having to go to the toilet before a performance. Still get the butterflies occasionally.
I'm curious as to what the study that Adam mentioned would actually study. What is the goal of the study? What do they need to learn in order to reach that goal?
It means that you are overly concerned that the paper clips will not approve of your filing performance, Stan.
A common afflliction in the cubicle drone world, try picturing them naked or in their underwear................or, seek therapy.
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Oh yeah, add Carly Simon to the list of big time performers with stage fright. Her's was/is a severe form apparently. Lastly, Jim Morrison, yes that Jim Morrison, was so shy in the early days of The Doors, he used to stay facing the band during performances....although he ......er, "overcame" that shyness as they performed more. Jim's cure? Massive quantities of alcohol, hallucinogens and other assorted substances. Not a recommended course of treatment by the AMA.
Last Edited by on Sep 27, 2012 6:08 AM
What is ironic (I think anyways) is that the survey sign up process excludes you if you answer the second question 'No'
The question reads: "Do you perform in at least 4 or more performances per year (i.e. public orchestra performances, recitals, or non-classical gigs) NOT INCLUDING classroom work/performances (i.e. required juries, classroom performances or examinations)."
The irony is... what if you have such severe stage fright that you are unable to perform more than 4 per year? Wonder why 4 is a magic number for their data.
---------- Go ahead and play the blues if it'll make you happy. -Dan Castellaneta
I find the topic of stagefright to be fascinating and multifaceted. In fact it reminds me of quantum theory and "the influence of an outside observer". Not to mention "group mentality" based behaviour. For instance...I do a solo act and also play in 2 groups. I know my material very well for both situations, but when I go solo I have a little more apprehension for the first few tunes. Yet when I'm playing with either group the SF is not nearly as bothersome. My theory is that "the outside observer", the audience, is less focused on me the side man than on me the OMB. The group "absorbs" some of the energy of expectation and therefore lessens the pressure of performance. Anyhow, that's the short version. -------- You Tube = goshinjk
@ReedSqueal Yeah that is a good question! There must be some people that are very talented that can't bring themselves to play in an "uncontrolled environment".
"Let's see where do I begin, says Clarke-Lodovici. "Well, let's start out with him going to the doctor because he was bleeding from his arm. The doctor said to Bill, 'Please remove your sunglasses.' Bill did. The doctor said, 'You have a drinking problem, don't you.?' Bill didn't deny it. The doctor asked me to leave the room. Bill said to him that I should stay because I knew everything about him and he didn't want anything hidden.
"The doctor told Bill he had about a year left of his life to go if he didn't stop drinking. In fact, I remember the doctor asking him why he drank. Bill said that he was basically a very shy person and that drinking helped him face his fans when he was playing. The more popular he became, the more Bill drank...He was now in front of thousands, not just little local bars.
thanks, but no thanks, I don't have it so bad. my 2 cents, What seems to work best, for me...now that I think about why. I imagine a classroom. I teach them an authentic historical living musical document. A not often heard, or understood, chunk of American heritage. I am also discovering, I'm more relaxed and confident the more I know my material. It steps in when I try out a new song. And quickly dissipates after I do it a few times. Stage fright, or phobia? Butterflies, or panic attack>>>? how bad are you?
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Why is it that we all just can't get along?<
Last Edited by on Sep 29, 2012 12:03 AM
No stage fright or nervousness for me at all. Way back when I was a big drinker it would come on sometimes like a panic attack. After I quit drinking it went away and my playing got a lot better. So, I'm not sure alcohol helps with stage fright. It made it worse for me.
---------- -Rick Davis
Last Edited by on Sep 29, 2012 8:26 PM
